Yarding device for cutoff saws



May 20, 1952 Filed Aug. 28, 1945 C. SCHURMAN YARDING DEVICE FOR CUTOFF SAWS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY y 1952 c. SCHURMAN 2,597,678

YARDING DEVICE FOR CUTOFF SAWS Filed Aug. 28, 1945 n 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CLYDE SCHURMAN AT TO RN'E Y May 20, 1952 Filed Aug. 28, 1946 C. SCHURMAN YARDING DEVICE FOR CUTOFF SAWS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

CLYDE SCHURMAN ATTORNEY y 1952 c. SCHURMAN 2,597,678

YARDING DEVICE FOR CUTOFF SAWS Filed g- 2 19 46 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. CLYDE SCHU RMAN AT TQBNEY INVENTOR S HURMAN ATTORNFY CLYDE May 20, 1952 c. SCHURMAN YARDING DEVICE FOR CUTOFF SAWS Filed Aug. 28, 1946 y 1952 c. SCHURMAN YARDING DEVICE FOR CUTOFF SAWS 7 sheets -sheet 6 Filed Aug. 28, 1946 INVENTOR. CLYDE SCH UR MAN ATTORNEY y 1952 c. SCHURMAN YARDING DEVICE FOR CUTOFF SAWS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Aug. 28, 1946 INVENTOR. CLYDE SCHURMAN ATTORNEY Patented May 20, 1952 UNITED STATES PANT QFFICE YARDIN G DEVICE FOR CUTOFF SAWS Clyde Schurman, Woodland, Wash.

Application August 28, 1946, Serial No. 693,558

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a yarding and cutoff saw combination and is particularly related to the cutting of logs.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a machine having either a drag saw or a circular saw for cutting logs to length, at the same time having hoisting drums for pulling in the logs to be cut off.

The outstanding feature of the combination resides in the fact that the speed of the saw is maintained at a constant rate driven directly from the motor while the hoisting drums are driven through a variable speed transmission providing for the extra power required for the yarding in of the logs.

A further object of the invention is the combination and mounting of all these features on one frame.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawings, specification and claim.

Referring to the darwings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my assembled com bination log yarding and cutoff machine, some of the parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 2 is a side view, taken on line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated, parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 3 is a side View taken from the opposite side of that shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the hoisting drums yarding in a log to be cut to length.

Figure 5 is an end fragmentary view, taken on line 55 of Figure 1 illustratin my method of taking the power from the motor directly to the saw assembly drive and from the transmission, to the hoisting drum assembly.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a circular cutoff saw assembly mounted to the machine in combination with the drag saw assembly.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side view of Figure 6. looking in the direction indicated on line l-'l of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side view of the circular saw frame assembly removed from the machine.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side view of the circular saw assembly mounted upon the frame of the machine, but particularly this view illustrates the piping assembly for controlling the hydraulic cylinder for lifting the circular saw frame and also in the operation of the drag saw frame.

In the drawings:

My combination log yarding and cutoff ma- 2 chine consists of a portable main frame I consisting of longitudinal skids or runners connected by cross members, having a power plant 2 mounted on one of its ends, and a drag saw assembly 3 mounted on its opposite end. A hoisting assembly 4 is mounted midway the length of the frame.

I will first describe the hoisting assembly 4-. This assembly consists of the usual drums 5 and 6 mounted to a third shaft 1 journalled within suitable bearings '8. The drums 5 and 6 have the usual clutch assemblies therein controlled by the control levers 9 and Hi. The control lever B operates the clutch assembly direct in the usual manner, but I have provided a clutch operating shaft I l for operating the clutch within the drum 6 through a chain i2 connected to the shaft l I and to the clutch shaft I3, the shafts havin suitable sprockets on which the chain is trained for operating the clutch.

The drums 5 and B are also held from rotation by the brake assembly bands l4 and i5 operated by the brake pedals [6 through the cross shafts l1. Thus far with the exception of the control levers the hoisting drum assembly is of the standard design. This assembly is driven through the ring gear l8 from the pinion l9 that is fixed to a second shaft 20, which in turn is journalled within bearings 2| and driven through the chain 22. The chain 22 is driven from the transmission 23, which is of a variable speed type, and is driven by the transmission drive shaft 24 into the clutch assembly 25 of the motor 2. The clutch operating lever 26 operates the clutch within the housing 25. This clutch is of a standard well known design.

I will now describe the drag saw assembly 3, which consists of a fourth shaft 21 mounted within bearings 28. This fourth shaft has a crank 29 keyed to one of its ends for driving the drag saw. The drag saw consists of a cross head guide 39 mounted to the eccentric assembly 3| forming part of the fourth shaft 21. The drag saw 32 is fixedly secured to the cross'head 33 which is slidably mounted on the cross head guide 36. The cross head 33 is moved along the guide 30 by the connecting rod 34, which is pivotally mounted to the cross head at 35 and to the crank 29 at 36. The cross head guide 30 is maintained at right angles to the fourth shaft 21 and longitudinal of the frame I by the bracing arm 31. The bracing arm 3! is fixedly mounted to the bracket 38, which forms part of the bearing tube 39 rotatably mounted upon the fourth shaft 21.

I am covering in a separate application the structure of this drag saw assembly, featuring of the hydraulic cylinder 65 at 66.

the brace 31 for maintaining the cross head and the cross head guide in fixed relative alignment with the machine.

Guide rollers 40 are fixedly mounted to the outer end of the cross head guide 30. The outer end 4| of the brace 31 is pivotally and slidably mounted to the outer end of the guide bar 30. The fourth shaft 21 is driven by the belt 42 from a first shaft 43 mounted within bearings 44. The first shaft 43 is driven by the chain 45 from the drive shaft 24 directly from the motor 2.

The method of driving the hoisting assembly 4 and the drag saw assembly 3 is the highlight of this invention. The saw assembly is driven at a constant speed from the motor 2 through the driving assembly above described, while the hoisting assembly 4 is driven through the variable speed transmission 23 allowing the increase of leverage delivered by the motor to the hoisting assembly through the transmission when desired without effecting the speed of the operation of the saw assembly.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a lever arm or quadrant .46 is fixedly secured to the bearing tube 39 and the brace 38at 41. This lever is operated from the hydraulic cylinder 48 through the piston rod 49 which is pivotally mounted at 50to the lever 46. A hydraulic pump is mounted to the frame I and is driven by the drive chain 52' from the first shaft 43. Hydraulic fluid is delivered through the pipe 53 from the control valve 54'connected to the pump 5| to the cylinder 48 for operating the same. Bleeder lines 55 return the hydraulic liquid from the cylinder 48 to the sump tank 56'. I do not wish to make claim to the hydraulic control piping and mechanism, as this can be of any well known system.

The hydraulic valve 54 is controlled by the control lever 51 through the connecting rod 58. This brings all of the control levers to a control station at 59.

Referring to Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9, I have illustrated the mounting of a demountable circular saw-assembly to my new and improved log yarding and cutoff machine. This mount consists of an upright bearing frame 60 mounted on top of the frame I over each bearing 28 of the fourth shaft 21. A cross shaft 6| is journalled within bearings 62 and is driven by the belts 53 from the fourth shaft 21. A saw frame 64 is pivotally mounted to the top of the frames 63 at I00 in sleeves |0|on shaft 6| by the bearings I02 and I03, said bearings forming parts of the frame 64. This frame is also mounted upon the piston rod The cylinder 65 is pivotally mounted to the frame I at 61, the operation of which will be later described.

A-saw arbor 68 is journalled within bearings on the outer ends 69:0f the saw frame 64 consisting substantially of an A-frame having. one side member disposed along one side runner of frame and another. side member converging outwardly in relative close proximity thereto to take arbor 68' beyond one endof frame and the usual circular saw is mounted thereon. The saw is driven through the drive chain 1| from the cross shaft 6|. The drag saw assembly 3 and the circular saw assembly may work together or' separately. The circular saw is provided for the small logs while the drag saw is provided for the sawing of the larger logs.

I will now describe the general operation of my new and improved log yarding and cutoff saw machine. Referring to-Figure 4, the-log 12 is being yarded in onthe skids 13 -to the drag saw 32 of the drag saw assembly 3 by the cables 14 wound on the drums 5 and 5 of the hoisting assemblies 4. As described above, the hoisting assembly 4 is operated through the second shaft 20, drive chain 22 and transmission or speed changing gearing including reduction gearing 23 from the power plant 2. The transmission reduces the speed to the desired amount in order to haul the log over thesurface of the ground and upover the skidways'13.

When the log has been brought into place under the drag saw the drag saw is lowered on to'the log by the operation of the control lever 51, control rod 58 operating the valve 54 allowing the liquid from the hydraulic cylinder 48 to bleed back into the reservoir 56, allowing the saw assembly to lower itself on to the log. As stated above the primary object of my invention is to operate the saw assembly at a constant rate of speed through' the drive chain 45, first shaft 43, belt 42 to the fourth shaft 21 from the powerplant 2 and providing a change of speed for the driven chain 22, second shaft 20 and the hoisting drums 4 in order to meet the varied speeds required in the yarding in of the log.

In the operation of the circular saw assembly shown in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 a slightly modified form of hydraulic controls is used. The pumping unit 5| operates either the drag saw assembly or the circular saw assembly as above described in the operation of the drag saw assembly. Hydraulic fiuid is delivered from the pump 5| through the piping 15 into the valves 16 and 11. The valve 11 controlling the hydraulic piston in fluid for operating the hydraulic cylinder 48 controlling the raising and lowering operation of the drag saw assembly 3 while the valve" operates and controls the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 65 for raising or loweringthe A-frame 64 of the circular saw assembly. The usual by-pass pressure relief valve is provided within the hydraulic line 18 (Fig. 9) from the pump 5| by-passing the oil into-the reservoir (9. The return lines 80 and 8| are provided for returning the hydraulic fluid to the reservoir 19 in the operation of the system.

The operation of the saw 10 is controlled by clutch IOIA (Fig. 6) through the operating. lever I06 and link I67. The operation of the drag saw 32 is controlled by the clutch 200 (Fig. 1) throwing the fourth shaft 21 in or out of gear with the pulley 2|l|, which is driven by the belt 42; said clutch-200 is operated by the lever 202 through thelink 203. In other words either saw can be thrownout of gear with the driving belt 42, or both of them may be thrown out of gear at the same time.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact mechanical structure orcombination of parts, as other mechanical equivalents may be substituted still coming within the scope of my claim.

What I claim as new is:

A yarding apparatus comprising a main frame, skids on said frame for the ready portability thereof, apower plant providing a constantspeed source mounted at one corner of said frame, a drive shaft for said power plant, a variable speed transmission connected to said drive shaft, a first shaft parallel to said drive shaft and mounted on said frame adjacent said power plant, a driving connection between the drive shaft of said power plant and said first shaftto drive said first shaft at-a constant rate of speed, a drive shaft for said transmission, a second shaft journalled on said frame parallel to said first shaft, a driving connection between the 5 drive shaft for the transmission and said second shaft, a third shaft journalled on said frame parallel to said first and second shafts, 'yarding drums on said third shaft, a driving connection between said second shaft and said third shaft for driving said third shaft at variable rates of speed, a fourth shaft journalled on said frame in parallel relation to said first, second and third shafts, a driving connection between said fourth shaft and said first shaft for driving said fourth shaft at a constant rate of speed, whereby when a saw is mounted on said fourth shaft to be driven at a constant rate of speed, the speed of said third shaft may be varied to address logs of different sizes to the saw on said fourth shaft.

CLYDE SCHURMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Fachmon Oct. 2, 1883 Cunningham June 21, 1898 Henry Mar. 12, 1901 Cox July 10, 1906 Howard Aug. 22, 1911 Martens Jan. 9, 1912 McMillan Dec. 7, 1926 Siders Apr. 12, 1927 Morris Jan. 26, 1932 Miller Oct. 19, 1937 Hillyer Dec. 19, 1944 Schurman Feb. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France May 9, 1923 

